Female House Sparrow

Pictured from the short session a week ago when the snow made us return home. Car used as hide, our bird feeders the nearby attraction.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

To all followers of this blog and visitors regular or otherwise Merry Christmas from me and Pat. Have a great break.

Every weekend we have been out of late it has statrted snowing, last weekend was no different when we beat a retreat for tyhe supermarket and then home. The Blackbird header was taken in the falling snow from my car outside the house.

It's hard being a small wader!

I went up to Filey Country Park yesterday as 11 Woodcock had been spotted a few days before.

I did see a couple of Woodcock flying and plenty of gulls.

Waders were feeding on the grass in the centre of the park, although there was a good couple of inches covering of snow. The pictures depict the probing where the grass is visible.

Cold, hard work indeed. I love this small wader although common and in its winter plumage, they look so small alongside the Oystercatchers.

Thinking about it.

 Not too sure.

Why not!

Spangled Lady, pretty baby!

Further up Bransdale on Sunday we saw plenty of Red Grouse, most seemed to be males and they were usually elusive in the pretty poor light, it was raining most of the time.

I thought I saw a Grouse sitting in the heather, pulled up sharply, but could not find it!. Finally, after searching it was there. Pat could not see it which is unusual its normally the other way around (there's an admission).

I took a good few shots, it was at some distance, it sat tight, it was raining, the male was pulling at the heather some way behind, what eye wattles, didn't sit up for any pictures, too far off. The lady did move in the end.

What weather must they tolerate in the winter, too say nothing of _ _ _ _!

Road side snack bar!

We took a trip up Bransdale today went through Kirbymoorside up to the Dale. There have been Waxwings in the town these last few weeks and a few miles up the road before we got into the dale two birds were spotted by Pat at the top of conifers in a farm garden. By the roadside was a small ornamental berry tree that seems to be favoured by these birds and sure enough after a few minutes they flew down into the berry tree.

This happened twice whilst we waited in the car at the other side of the road. The light was poor, so the pictures are noisy, it was raining but a great treat again.

Finally _ _ _ Waxwings

Sorry for the lack of recent posts, I have been out and about the last few week-ends but keep missing out on the birds I have targetted. It also seems we have spurned some cracking light traveling in the car and by the time we arrive its clouded over, or the quick shopping trip to be followed by birding that becomes a long shopping trip!

Anyway following the influx of Waxwings into the uk and particularly in a number of spots in N Yorks nearby like Kirbymoorside 20 miles away and even in East/West Ayton where I live (whilst I am stuck at work) I read of 17 birds at Malton about 16 miles away yesterday morning and within 90 minutes we were there and soon located 6 birds on the edge of a car park and feeding on berries to the back of the George Hotel.

They were a little high most of the time and fed briefly a couple of times on the berries before flying off after I had spent 30-40 minutes with them. So off to the supermarket and by the time I am out again its clouded over!

Brilliant birds, great light, my best shots to date of this species, I hope to catch up again with Waxwings  before too long.

Suffolk Bugs (Part 1)

As I mentioned in an earlier post our recent holiday to Suffolk produced more bugs than birds so I need to make use of the pictures I obtained.

Firstly on a walk at Dunwich Heath we spotted the big impressive beetle shown below. My field guide (Complete British Wildlife by Paul Sterry - Published by Collins) says this is a Great Diving Beetle. The margins of the electra and thorax are marked orange-brown. The male has a smooth shiny electra where the females is grooved both the adults and larvae are fearsome predators.



Secondly, the next two bugs were at Snape Warren RSPB which you access by walking down the north side of the River Alde estuary from Snape Maltings, through the reed beds and along the bank of the estuary where the wildlife possibilities are great. The header shot shows the path away from the famous Snape Maltings and the Concert Hall.

The first up I think is a Forest Bug which has an almost rectangular pronotum and broad square shoulders which come to a point. The pale spot at the tip of the scutellum is often orange as in this case. They feed on the sap of a wide range of trees and sometimes damage fruit. They also feed on small caterpillars and other insects.

Then one of the various crickets/grasshoppers on the warren not sure what this is, answers on a postcard to Mike unsprung! Off to get a cricket /grasshopper guide. I would appreciate advice!